United States Eventing Association

PODCAST: Preparing for a USEA Classic Series Event

This week on the show we are joined by the winners of the Novice Three-Day and Training Three-Day at the 2018 Event at Rebecca Farm, amateur rider Jeanne Carley and professional rider Heather Morris. Both riders share their unique perspectives on how they prepared to compete in the long format three-day event.

Jeanne Carley took the top prize in the Rebecca Farm Novice Three-Day aboard her own Shannondale Fionn (Shannondale Sarco x Shannondale Sasha), a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. Carley shares a bit about how she got into the sport, which she didn’t pick up until her 50s, and what drew her to the Classic Series event. She explains some of the ways she prepared her horse to compete in the Novice Three-Day and how her education benefitted both her and her horse once they were out on course. Next up, Carley and Shannondale Fionn are headed to compete in the USEA American Eventing Championships.

Heather Morris and Von Zipper, the Team Express Group’s 7-year-old Oldenburg gelding by Contendros, were the winners of the Training Three-Day at Rebecca Farm. Morris explains why she made the decision to take Von Zipper to compete in the Training Three-Day and the fitness regime she used to help him prepare for the event. She discusses why she, as a professional, chooses to compete her horses in the long format events and how she feels it benefits her young horses are they prepare to move up the levels.

We close out the show with the continuation of our 2018 World Equestrian Games (WEG) Preview Series. Emma Ford, who has groomed for Dutton for many years, shares what it’s like to prepare for a championship like WEG or the Olympics. She also tells us what it’s like to work with Dutton’s WEG mount Z (Asca x Bellabouche), Tom Tierney, Simon Roosevelt, Suzanne Lacy, Annie Jones, and Caroline Moran’s 10-year-old Zangersheide gelding, including how he travels and what his personality is like both in the barn and at the competition.

Then, Boyd Martin, who will compete at WEG aboard Christine Turner's Tsetserleg (Windfall x Thabana), an 11-year-old Trakehner gelding, comes on the show to tell us more about how he has been working to prepare Tsetserleg for the upcoming competition. Martin talks about Tsetserleg’s personality, how he has developed a partnership with the horse, and what it’s been like to work with Turner as an owner.